The Umbrella Process

Congratulations, you’ve secured a temporary contract and selected Focused as your employer (you have great taste!) now we need to get you set up and paid so that you can enjoy the spoils of your hard work. Here’s a brief summary of our processes:

Registration

Having spoken to us to understand how much you can take home on a weekly basis and if you haven’t already done so you’ll need to give us your details, including full name, address, DOB, proof of entitlement to work and bank details. You will need to complete the online registration process but this really shouldn’t take long.

Your Personal Portal Login

Once registered you’ll receive a few welcome emails from us this will include the details for your secure Focused Personal Portal. This is where you can edit your details, access contract information, view assignment details, submit timesheets, view your payslips and at the end of the year download your P60.

Assignment Creation

We swap contracts with the agency / end client for the provision of your services. We check out their terms, ensure AWR compliance and put timesheet and invoicing procedures in place. An assignment record is created on your behalf and accessible via your Focused Personal Portal.

Timesheet Submission

Each week we need to know how many hours you’ve completed so that we can invoice for your time and allocate expenses correctly. You’ll be pleased to hear that with many agency clients we have system integration, meaning that you only need to fill in one timesheet each week.

Claiming Expenses

As per the legislation change in April 2016 this will be dependent on your Supervision, Direction and Control (SDC) status.

If you fall in to the majority of contractors who are under SDC you will still be able reap the rewards from the Focused benefits however you will be unable to claim for your travel to and from work & subsistence, if you have any client rechargeable expenses however you will need to log these on the portal to ensure we process them correctly for you.

If you provide us with the information needed and having had a consultation with our Compliance team who determine you are not under SDC, you will have access to claim for the cost of your travel to and from your work site. Step by step instructions of the claim will be included in your welcome emails.

Invoicing & Payment Chase Ups

We send weekly invoices to agencies and chase payments on your behalf, although we have such strong relationships with our clients that most agencies don’t need that much chasing! On receipt of funds we match payments with invoices to ensure that hours have been correctly accounted for and where necessary client re-chargeable expenses have been reimbursed.

Payroll

We run daily payrolls to ensure that 99% of employees are paid on a Friday, a week in arrears of working. During the payroll process we take care of those fiddly and time consuming tax calculations, student loan deductions, expense reimbursements etc so that when the money hits your bank account you can be confident it’s all yours to spend.

Payslips

These are emailed to you on a weekly basis when we process your payroll for you, we also make them available on your Focused Personal Portal when the funds hit your bank account and can be printed or saved electronically for your future reference.

Employee Support

Sometimes things go wrong and agency deadlines are missed, whilst often this is through no fault of the contractor, they are the ones who pay the price with delays to their payment. Focused are different from other umbrellas. We take our role as your employer seriously and will work hard to fix any problems for you as they arise. Where payment issues cannot be resolved within an agency’s deadlines we offer a free emergency payment process to get funds to you ahead of the weekend.

Our Contractor Specialist Team are also on hand until 8pm to answer those questions that you want to ask away from the working environment.

The Winning Formula

System automation and an excellent team of dedicated back office staff are what make our processes flow so smoothly. We have an excellent reputation in the umbrella sector for efficiency and compliance and we look forward to demonstrating this to you very soon.

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what you say

I would also like to personally thank Focused Consulting, you have been professional, helpful and always responded to any questions quickly and efficiently. I would certainly work with you again in the future and recommend you to friends and colleagues who may consider contracting.

Kerri, Focused Employee

I would like to thank Focused for dealing with my timesheets in such a productive way. I would also like to thank all at Focused for the time and relationships I built up with certain members of staff during my time working for my recruitment agency dealing with all the Umbrella and Limited company contractors payments.

Adam, Recruitment Consultant

I would like to thank you for your excellent service, easy to use timesheet and expenses portal, and above all, fantastic value for money.

Phillip, Focused Employee

I would just like to say a huge thank you to Focused. I have spoken to various people at Focused who have been extremely helpful in organising payments for me, everybody has been extremely professional, polite and friendly and I would have no hesitation in recommending Focused to anybody. Thank you once again for all the help.

Paul, Focused Employee

I’ve had an utterly professional, with a personal friendly experience with Focused. From day one every detail was conveyed on a one to one basis on the phone, as opposed to a barrage of emails and I’ve felt totally looked after. The online services to follow were simple and easy to use, with superb available customer services. I’d happily sing your praises if a friend/acquaintance came to me asking about you.

Nicole, Focused Employee

Thank you for all your help and prompt payment since I have been with you, I would gladly use your services again should I find myself working through an agency/on a temporary contract.

Anthony, Focused Employee

May I take this opportunity to thank you all for the excellent support I have received. I shall certainly be recommending Focused Group to any of my peers in need of an umbrella company

Clive, Focused Employee

I just wanted to thank you for your service and diligence and for processing my wages/queries without any mishaps or problems and always in a quick and efficient manner. That has made me feel at ease a lot of the time, seeing as we all want to get paid when we need it.

Sam, Focused Employee

Thanks to all the team for your excellent service and I really enjoyed working with Focused.

Lucy, Contractor

I had a very good experience with Focused Group, everybody has been kind, understanding, patient and professional, it was a joy having indirectly met a few of you. I wish you All also, all the very best for the future and you never know, I might be back.

Manuela, Focused Employee

All your staff with whom I have come in contact with have been polite and my queries have always been answered promptly and with clarity, whether over the phone or via email, so I thank you all for that and wish you all well.

Izzy, Focused Employee

I would like to compliment you personally and Focused as a group for the timely work that you and your colleagues provide. All dealings that I have had with Focused are dealt with promptly, diligently and with due care to your customer. Thank you to you and to all at Focused. I look forward to working with you in the future.

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testimonials

I would also like to personally thank Focused Consulting, you have been professional, helpful and always responded to any questions quickly and efficiently. I would certainly work with you again in the future and recommend you to friends and colleagues who may consider contracting.

Kerri, Focused Employee

May I take this opportunity to thank you all for the excellent support I have received. I shall certainly be recommending Focused Group to any of my peers in need of an umbrella company

Clive, Focused Employee

I would like to thank you for your excellent service, easy to use timesheet and expenses portal, and above all, fantastic value for money.

Phillip, Focused Employee

I just wanted to thank you for your service and diligence and for processing my wages/queries without any mishaps or problems and always in a quick and efficient manner. That has made me feel at ease a lot of the time, seeing as we all want to get paid when we need it.

Sam, Focused Employee

I would just like to say a huge thank you to Focused. I have spoken to various people at Focused who have been extremely helpful in organising payments for me, everybody has been extremely professional, polite and friendly and I would have no hesitation in recommending Focused to anybody. Thank you once again for all the help.

Paul, Focused Employee

Thank you for all your help and prompt payment since I have been with you, I would gladly use your services again should I find myself working through an agency/on a temporary contract.

Anthony, Focused Employee

All your staff with whom I have come in contact with have been polite and my queries have always been answered promptly and with clarity, whether over the phone or via email, so I thank you all for that and wish you all well.

Izzy, Focused Employee

I would like to compliment you personally and Focused as a group for the timely work that you and your colleagues provide. All dealings that I have had with Focused are dealt with promptly, diligently and with due care to your customer. Thank you to you and to all at Focused. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Narinda, Contractor

I’ve had an utterly professional, with a personal friendly experience with Focused. From day one every detail was conveyed on a one to one basis on the phone, as opposed to a barrage of emails and I’ve felt totally looked after. The online services to follow were simple and easy to use, with superb available customer services. I’d happily sing your praises if a friend/acquaintance came to me asking about you.

Nicole, Focused Employee

I had a very good experience with Focused Group, everybody has been kind, understanding, patient and professional, it was a joy having indirectly met a few of you. I wish you All also, all the very best for the future and you never know, I might be back.